Today's News

There was some dramatic news out of Afghanistan last week, but by now most Americans are so bored by the topic that they barely pay attention.
The Taliban, the once and very likely future leaders of that country, attacked a resort hotel just outside Kabul. Before the five fighters were killed, they managed to snuff out the lives of 18 innocent people.

I voted for John McCain back in 2008 because I had Barack Obama pegged as a left-wing ideologue who lacked the experience necessary to be president of the United Sates. As he reaches the end of his first (and hopefully last) term, I can say that he has met my expectations. Actually, he has exceeded my expectations. When it comes to foreign policy, his performance goes beyond a leader who is in over his head. It’s been an appalling combination of incompetence and political game-playing.

For the second time this year the Bedford County School Board had to fill a vacancy on the board. And, for the second time in its history, it chose to interview candidates in an open meeting.

Six candidates applied to fill the District 2 school board seat vacated by David Vaden. School board members interviewed each candidate, asking each the same set of questions. Candidates waited their turn in a separate room so that none of them would have the advantage of hearing the questions in advance.

As children, many people dream of space—to be able to fly rockets, become astronauts, and study the stars and planets.
For Megan Beisser, a junior from Liberty High School, her dream is to be an aerospace engineer. She wants to work with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft.

Tim Kaine was in town Saturday afternoon for a fundraiser, but you won’t see any stories about it in newspapers. That’s because the event, which took place at the local Democratic Party campaign headquarters on West Main Street, was closed to the press.

“Generally the campaign fundraisers we hold are not open to the press,” said Lilly Adams, Kaine’s press secretary.
Why is that?
“Most fundraisers are in peoples’ houses,” she said.

Tucked away in Bedford’s Centertown is an organization that promotes Virginia’s private colleges to the nation and the world. It’s called the Council of Independent Colleges of Virginia. It’s located in the building on Main Street that once housed the Bedford Democrat and currently is home to Robert Lambeth’s law practice. This is a good location for the organization’s office as Lambeth is it’s president. It’s also a good location because many of it’s members are in this region of Virginia.

Behind-the-wheel training will continue to be available for students in Bedford County Public Schools, at least through this fall, but school officials are looking at the possibility of phasing out the program in the future.
But several speakers, at last Thursday’s meeting of the Bedford County School Board, encouraged the board not to drop the program.

Two newly appointed members of the Bedford County Planning Commission do not intend to take the Virginia Certified Planning Commissioners’ Program, even though a provision requiring that remains in the planning commission’s bylaws.
County Attorney Carl Boggess has written a legal opinion stating that the planning commission has no mechanism to enforce this bylaw.
Here is why the two men aren’t going to attend the program.

Ronald Snellings looks down and gives Benji a big hug. He squeezes his old friend tight; resting his head on the top of the dog. For 13 months, the 63-year-old Bedford County man couldn’t enjoy this comfort. Now, he’s not about to let go.

Benji is the only one of the more than 100 animals Snellings was taking care of back in 2010 that he now has. And he’s only had Benji back since last October.